After 5 years, the third official album of the cult band was finally released. The new material is in line with the previous ones, the music didn’t change much perhaps a bit less dirty, rackety sounding and somewhat more boogie like songs. Nevertheless it still remains the 70s inspired mid-paced hard-rock/doom like the previous ones.

Church of Misery - Houses of the Unholy

As always, the songs were dedicated to serial killers, lyrics are in harmony with that creating a morbid contrast with the almost melodic hit like songs, or shall I say happy rock music? If I had to compare Church of Misery to other bands I would most definitely have to mention Cathedral, Sleep, Boris’ non-drone material perhaps Blood Farmers and of course Black Sabbath, but I could also mention a lot of stoner bands such as Orange Goblin or if compared to its feeling then Spiritual Beggars would be sound choice. Despite all these, the style of Church of Misery is unique and can be recognised easily.

One of my favourite song from the album is the very first track titled El Padrino, a song dedicated to the humble Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo, who in the 80s was a notorious drug-baron, cultist and was fond of sacrificing humans on different kind of ceremonies. After the chaotic intro an essential doom riff emerges. They don’t really complicate the track too much; no need for that anyway with the clever varying of the themes the song doesn’t get boring. And then in the second half the song perfectly conjures Sleep with the jamming solo part and the wah-bass interlude.

My other favourite is the third track called The Grey Man which tells us about the “Vampire of Brooklyn” Albert Fish the arrant paedophile cannibal. This song contains the best riff from the album a rocky, energetic tempoed song structure with an interesting rhythm pattern which makes the song the heaviest on the album.

Church of Misery

The other 7 tracks of the album are lined up in the same spirit as the latter two on the 50 minute long album overly similarly. Which is my main problem with the band. It’s like the whole album is one song and there are bigger turns inside songs than between them so much that if there wasn’t a pause between the tracks I wouldn’t even realise that it is a completley different song. It’s not that the songs are badly written; my bigger concern is the sounding which is too much garage like and you can’t really hear the good riffs.

In spite of this, generally the album is good. People who already know Church of Misery won’t be disappointed. And as for me they are the best Japanese band in the world. Incidentally they are currently touring in Europe their next stop will be Wien on May 6.

CoM honlap, CoM @myspace, Rise Above Records

(Translation was conjured by Thoma.)